2012 December Banquet

The 2013 Akron Railroad Club officers were installed at the ARRC holiday banquet held on Dec. 1, 2012, at the University of Akron. They are (from left) Craig Sanders (president), J. Gary Dillon (vice president), Edward Ribinskas (treasurer), Timothy Krogg (secretary) and Marty Surdyk (Bulletin editor).

Thirty Akron Railroad Club members and guests attended the club’s annual holiday banquet held on Dec. 1, 2012, at the Martin Center at the University of Akr0n. Those presented enjoyed a buffet featuring the always popular chicken parmesan along with salmon, a vegetable medley, mashed potatoes and a tossed salad.

During the banquet the officers for 2013 were installed and a tribute was made to the late Eli Rantanes, who died on (date). His widow, Althea Rantanes spoke to club members.

The program was a salute to the photography of long-time club member John Beach. It was presented by his son Dave Beach and focused on the father-son relationship they had in taking railroad photographs during the 1960s. The images were set to music as well as narration by Dave Beach during which he described what he learned from his father about railroad photography.

It would turn out to be the last banquet that the ARRC held at the Martin Center. The following year, the center closed as a banquet facility and the club voted to replace the banquet with an informal end of year dinner at a local restaurant. We also dropped the tradition of swearing in the officers for the coming year.

Photographs by Richard Jacobs

Althea Rantanes memorializes her late husband Eli, a long time Akron Railroad Club member.

Akron Railroad Club president Craig Sanders welcomes the attendees at the banquent.

Dave Beach operates the computer that has the evening’s slide program loaded for projection.

Dave and John with their families pose for a group shot.

Dave and John Beach provided an excellent program of vintages of long gone railroads set to lively music. Two generations of images were from both John and Dave taken over many years of being trackside.